Can you open an account in Spain without a NIE?

Do you need a NIE to open an account in Spain?

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is not called a condition for opening an account. The bank, as a "understood entity" on Ley 10/2010, is obliged to identify the customer before entering into a relationship on secure documents. [3]For an alien, the Real Decreto 304/2014 (art. 6) refers to a resident card, TIE, a passport or, for EU and EEA citizens, a national identity document. [2]. NIE is not listed.

A separate requirement relates to the tax number: under article 28 Real Decreto 1065/2007, whoever deals with banks is obliged to inform NIF. What is NIF and how it is different from NIE [1][4]But from this rule, article 28 has reservations, which are lower.

What exactly does the law without NIE allow?

If the NIF is not notified in 15 days, the bank must report the account to the tax office: Article 40 Real Decreto 1065/2007 requires banks to transmit to AEAT quarterly accounts of which the owners of the NIF have not specified [1]This is one of the reasons banks prefer to get their NIEs at once.

Why do banks still ask for NIE

The law sets a minimum, and the bank ’s customer acceptance policy is built on its own risk assessment (art. 7.1 Ley.10/2010) [3]when paying with a NRC card. The bank is also obliged to find out the purpose of the relationship and the nature of the client's activities, to conduct constant monitoring and abandon the relationship if it cannot apply these measures (Articles 5, 6 and 7.3) [3]In addition, the bank reports monthly to AEAT accounts that are opened in it (article 37 Real Decreto 1065/2007) [1].

So one bank can open a passport account to a non-resident, and the other bank will demand a NIE. What the organization's approach is, the law doesn't define. We don't call banks and we don't evaluate their practice: ask the demands in advance.

What if NIE isn't

1. Prepare a valid passport and confirmation of non-resident status: certificate of the tax authority of the country of residence or declaration of tax residence in the form the bank proposes (art. 28.9) [1].
2. Ask the bank before you visit if it will open an account without NIE and what documents are needed about the activity and the source of the funds.
3. If a tax number is needed and NIE is not, the law allows a temporary NIF: AEAT assigns it to an alien without a NIE for tax-value transactions, it consists of nine digits and begins with the letter M (Article 20.2 Real Decreto 1065/2007) [4]Whether your bank will accept this number depends on the bank.
4. If the bank asks for a NIE, you'll get it. NIE in Barcelona: step-by-step and How much is Nie.
5. If you have the right to cuenta de pago básica (a legal resident of the EU and no other account in Spain), the bank is obliged to offer it and the refusal must be written and motivated within 10 working days. [5].
6. Once the NIE is received, inform the bank: if the account was opened without NIF, the deadline is 15 days. [1].

Which depends on your case.

Whether you need a NIE depends on whether you're resident, how long you open the account, and what the bank's policy is. Opening of an account at the Spanish bank by resident and non-residentI. The receipt of NIE and residence permits we are looking at on the service page Documents.

Frequent issues

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The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.